High School had its ups and downs. It is hard hanging out with all of the kids who don’t have the same challenges you have. Though they loved me and were supportive, they didn’t understand the challenges that I had at home. Their circumstances were different than mine. Words like SAT / ACT and college weren’t common in my home. I had a loving family and I’m so thankful for them. However, I knew that I would leave the small town I grew up in and fulfill my dreams someday. It’s almost best that I couldn’t see all the challenges in front of me at that point. I knew that finding a trade or attending college would not only change my life but the lives of my future kids and family.
I was fortunate enough to find my way to college as a 17 year old but finances cut that short. The road to success is long but those who stay committed will reap the rewards. The best part is finding the many wonderful people and friends along the way.
As a college freshman, I was struggling to say the least. I didn’t have direction, a plan or even really a purpose. I was drifting along, wherever the current took me. I was a Communications major at a D1 university and I was lost. I had a loving family but finances were tight so funding for my education was shaky at best. In fact, a step- great uncle who passed away many years before left me $2000.00 for a pony. When he died, I was 8 years old and all I wanted was a pony. Sounds like many 8 year olds I know today. What he didn’t realize was that having a pony as a child would cost much more than $2000.00. I would need a place to board the pony, food etc…. I never got the pony.
I started my college journey with my “pony fund.” I graduated high school at 17 and was off to the big city of Nacogdoches, Tx to attend Stephen F. Austin State University. I was excited to move into a dorm and have a meal plan. This meant the basic necessities of life would be provided for at least one semester. I was excited to attend classes and now, over 30 years later have vivid memories of the classes I took, the faces I met and even the cherished friendships that I still have today.
On my first day of class, I walked into what would be a life changing path for me. I took Dr. Townsends Interpersonal Communications class. The textbook I would need to purchase was costly at the time but would alter the direction of my life and future. The book ….. See You At The Top by Zig Ziglar. Everything about this book was intriguing. The idea of being at the top was so foreign to me. I was starting at the very bottom.
My father abandoned me at an early age. I was raised for many years by a single mother trying her best to make ends meet. I didn’t have siblings until my step siblings were born right before leaving for college. The car I was driving was a stick shift Toyota that was so small, my friends literally picked it up and moved it to a different parking space as a prank. I collected stamps to pay for gasoline. I worked at a pizza place, washing, drying, serving and cleaning. Working, school and the stress of how I would continue to keep all the balls in the air ,was a lot. All of this was in great contrast to my new college friends. Their financial situations looked much different than mine. They had parents who could support them and were able to do the “extras” that I wanted to do such as join a sorority or plan spring break trips. So often I felt ashamed or that I needed to “pretend normal” to fit in. Deep down, I wanted to be FOUND. I wanted others to know the reality of my situation because I desperately needed their kindness and support but I was too embarrassed to ask.
Fast forward many years. The book that I read that semester, See You At The Top, lit a fire in me. Could I really do it? Could I make it to the top? Did anyone even see me? Did they see the struggles or did I blend in as the other students? I made a decision that year. I made the decision to make it to the top. I wanted to be SEEN and FOUND. I wanted the same opportunities of those around me. The only way this was going to happen was if I made it happen. I would make it to the top, no matter what it took.
It took a lot. It took working many hours, many wonderful people who came along side me and believed in me. It took many scholarships to help me pay for my education and it took many, many years. Today, I have that Bachelors degree in Communications. I’m the first in my family to graduate from college. My son is a physician, one daughter graduated from college last year. One daughter is a senior at Baylor and one daughter will be starting Texas A&M this coming fall. You see, not only did I change my future, I changed the future of generations to come in my family. I became a writer and an entrepreneur. I developed a software to help other students find scholarships for college and filled it with hundreds of videos and resources to help every student be successful. It’s like having scholarships and your very own private college and success coach all in one place.
During my college years, my faith became a cornerstone of my life. Someone told me, “God delights in you. He goes before you and behind you. He is for you!.” Wow! Really ? I stepped out in faith and chose to believe those words. That He is for me. That I could, with His help, make it to the top. You may be thinking…what is the top? For me, the top was to a place where I could use my gifts and talents to make a difference in the world. A place where I was independent and could provide for myself and my family. A place where I could be fully me and not live with a scarcity mindset but rather a mindset of abundance.
Another book entered my life many years later that had a meaningful impact. The Soul of Money. This book helped me realize that making it to the top was less about having more and more about giving. Today, I’m able to help others. I’m able to help others be seen, heard and FOUND.
If you are a student who can’t see the path before you, have hope. If you need scholarships, sign up here for $16.99 a month. It is a small investment with a huge return. There are many companies that will help you pay for college. There are also other ways to gain an education if you’re willing to work hard. If you need other things such as food, clothing or mental health care, you can find resources near you. In fact, we can help you find those. Know that you are seen, heard and FOUND.
Sherri Ross
CEO Imagine Scholarships